1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to memory device operation. More particularly, certain embodiments relate to techniques for determining an identifier to a volume of memory.
2. Background Art
Computer system architectures often include multiple volumes of memory which, for example, share with one another one or more signal lines coupled to a memory controller. For example, a typical memory system includes one or more buses—e.g. an address bus, data bus and/or command bus—for exchanges between a memory controller and various ones of a plurality of memory devices coupled thereto.
Such memory systems include mechanisms to differentiate volumes of memory from one another—e.g. to differentiate that a particular signal exchange relates to an accessing of one memory volume, as opposed to an accessing of some other memory volume. For example, chip select (or chip enable) inputs of such memory devices may be variously signaled by the memory controller for providing for such differentiation.
In some conventional memory systems, a memory controller assigns different volume addresses each to a respective memory volume. The memory controller may then send one or more such volume addresses in or with a communication—e.g. to indicate which of the memory devices is to service (or ignore) such communication. In current techniques, the assigning of such volume addresses takes place as part of configuration of the computer system—e.g. during, or in response to, a system boot-up.
In order to be configured for operation in such computer systems, memory devices are designed to implement a configuration stage which awaits an assignment of a memory volume identifier which is sent to the memory device—e.g. from the memory controller. However, such a configuration stage limits such memory devices at least with respect to their potential to be used in “instant on” platforms and/or in other applications where platform operation is time-sensitive in terms of memory availability.